Typical UK rents increased by 8.7% in the year to January 2025, rising to £1,332 per month, data from the Office for National Statistics shows.

This represents an increase from 9.0% the month before.

Yearly rent inflation in England was at 8.8%, coming to £1,375 per month, lower than the 9.2% rise recorded in December. 

This was also lower than the record-high 9.3% rent increase seen in November. 

Richard Donnell, executive director at Zoopla, said: “The rental market continues to be stuck in a supply-demand imbalance, which is keeping an upward pressure on rents. Zoopla data shows there are 22% more homes for rent than a year ago, but availability remains below the pre-pandemic period. 

Dan Wilson Craw, deputy chief executive of Generation Rent, lamented the results.

He said: “Everyone needs a safe, secure and affordable home. But renters across the UK are facing soaring rents which are far outstripping our earnings. 

“When we are forced to spend too much of our income on rent, the effects ripple across the rest of our lives. It means children are going to school hungry, and older renters can’t afford to turn the heating on. High rents are trapping people in poverty. 

“It’s encouraging to see the Scottish government proposing to introduce rent caps. We now need to see a similar approach across the rest of the UK to urgently slam the brakes on rising rents and give people the breathing space we need.”

Via @PropertyWire